Arrested! Water Warriors Put Liberty on Line
by Darren Moore
On September 5th, Dakota Case and Chester Earl, two members of the Puyallup Tribe, were arrested while protesting against the laying of a pipeline for a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant on the Tacoma Tideflats, Washington. They were charged with disorderly conduct after stopping a construction truck from leaving the site and requesting to see the construction permits. The pair were later taken off the reservation to a private jail facility about 20 miles away.
The arrests occurred approximately a mile from the Port of Tacoma, at the corner of 12th Street in the city of Fife, WA. This location had previously been the site where protesters stalled pipeline construction for several hours on July 17th. Notably, the city of Fife is entirely within the boundaries of the Puyallup Tribe’s reservation.
The Puyallup Tribal Council had submitted legal documents to the Port of Tacoma and Puget Sound Energy, the company responsible for the LNG plant, outlining critical permit violations and requesting a cease and desist of the construction. Environmental groups have also alleged that PSE is being disingenuous about the use of the Fife portion of the pipeline. However, these concerns have been dismissed, with the work being vaguely described as an infrastructure project.
Based on their understanding of these documents, members of the Water Warriors group then approached a construction flagger, asking for a supervisor to present and verify the construction permits. According to what they understood, the city of Fife had only issued a right-of-way permit for the 16-inch highly pressurized gas pipeline. This type of permit is not subject to environmental review, yet the pipeline will carry fracked gas from a mainline in Fife to the port facility. The documents also pointed out that the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency had not yet issued the necessary NOC permit (notice of construction), legally required before any work on the facility can begin.
When the Fife Police Department was called in, the Water Warriors showed them copies of these documents, only to be told they were not enforceable because they had not been signed off by a judge. In response, the Water Warriors called the Puyallup tribal police to assert their rights. However, the tribal police took no action when Fife PD eventually arrested the pair.
This incident, which involved removing Indigenous people from their sovereign lands, underscores the enduring power dynamics between colonizing forces and Indigenous populations. It highlights the ongoing struggle for Indigenous people to protect their cultural heritage and self-determination amid systemic oppression and external interference.
Additional Information: Link to Ancestral Waters Documentary
First appearing on September 10, 2017, this article is part of an ongoing series documenting the Indigenous-led campaign against the Tacoma LNG facility.
The article has since been edited to remove time-sensitive elements, such as calls to action, in order to serve as an historical and educational resource. You can also explore other related articles and resources on the Ancestral Waters page for a more contextual understanding of the issues and events.
While the full “Ancestral Waters” documentary is available for screenings, we invite you to watch the trailer for a glimpse into the comprehensive story of resiliency and activism told in the film.
